Supreme Court Forms Panel to Probe Police Excesses

The Supreme Court of India uploaded an order on 20 August 2026 constituting a five-member High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) to conduct an independent fact-finding probe into allegations of police excesses during student protests. The order was formally passed on 18 August 2026 by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana.

High-Powered Enquiry Committee

The HPEC is headed by retired Supreme Court Justice R. Subhash Reddy as chairperson. The other members are former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Ravi Shankar Jha, former Delhi High Court Judge Shalinder Kaur, former CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla, and retired Meghalaya DGP Dr. L.R. Bishnoi.

Scope of Inquiry and Evidence Preservation

The inquiry covers the student demonstrations of 20 July 2026 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and in Bihar, which were linked to protests over alleged paper leaks in examinations such as NEET. The committee has been asked to examine allegations of targeted violence, harassment, and online or physical molestation of female protesters as a top priority.

The court also directed the committee to assess the legality and proportionality of police crowd-control measures, including pellet guns, electric batons, tear gas, and lathi charges. The HPEC has been tasked with preserving drone footage, CCTV footage, body-camera recordings, and PCR call records from the protests.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Supreme Court of India functions as the apex court under Article 124 of the Constitution of India.
• A High-Powered Enquiry Committee is a fact-finding body used for independent examination of disputed events.
• Jantar Mantar in New Delhi is a common site for public demonstrations and protests.
• NEET stands for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, which is used for admission to medical courses in India.

Procedural Directions

The Supreme Court directed the HPEC to secure the release of detained minors unless they face grave or heinous charges. The committee has also been asked to submit periodic interim findings instead of a single final report.